Another Soldier’s Heart too broken to continue…….

Untitled 0 00 03-09I received some sad and startling news today. One of my adopted ‘nephews’, a three-tour veteran of Afghanistan, Jacob David George, took his own life yesterday.

He took his own life because he couldn’t face the pain and torment of life seen through the eyes of one who has faced the hell of war and brought the accompanying demons home with him. Like so many of our youth who have returned from the killing fields, the effects of PTSD reached farther and deeper into his soul than he was able to heal.

Jacob spent the years after he served in Afghanistan riding the country on his bicycle, sharing the ugly truth that he was told to live and experience, in the supposed name of democracy and freedom. He protested, sang, shared his story, assisted others having a hard time and fought hard for peace and justice.

One more soldier who bought the whole ticket about serving God and country and making the world a better place to live in.

One more soldier who was lied to and ordered to kill first and question later.

One more soldier who returned home wounded, broken, torn apart on the inside and left to deal with this new stranger within by prescribed drugs that didn’t help, and ineffective ‘counseling’ practices of a VA too strapped by its own inadequacies to actually provide effective treatment, assistance, guidance, healing, or authentic help.

We have allowed our country to become consumed with a permanent state of war. A state that serves the bellies of the few and plows through the lives of the many who are destined to fight these senseless atrocities. We have been lied to, we have been taught to believe that we are exceptional and that our way of life far surpasses any other known to the modern world.

We are not told about the thousands of lives that have been abruptly halted because of our obscene warring. We are not told about the destruction and devastation that is left behind our wake of death as we sweep through areas as if we were mowing grass, instead of mowing down innocents and poisoning the earth.

We are lead to believe that war is inevitable and necessary in order to find peace. We are fools because we either believe the lies, or worse, turn our eyes to view the nonsense we are fed through the silliness of mainstream media.

How many soldier’s hearts have to bleed out before we end the madness, stop the wars, stop the violence at home, stop the devastation to the earth and her inhabitants, and begin the process of healing what must be healed?

I lost a friend today and the world lost another voice crying out in the wilderness, begging for peace, love, compassion, and forgiveness. My world seems a little bit darker today because a bright and shining light was too injured and broken to go on.

3 thoughts on “Another Soldier’s Heart too broken to continue…….

  1. Mickie Lynn

    Hello Ymani, I remember when Women Against War published your beautiful video about Iran on our previous website which still exists online if you search for it.

    But what I wanted to tell you today is that earlier this evening I published an article about Jacob David George on our blog, Waging Peace.
    http://blog.timesunion.com/wagingpeace/a-soldiers-heart-remembering-jacob-david-george/6304/

    It mostly centered around the video from April of 2013 that told his story in his own words but because I didn’t know him personally I wanted to add the perspective of someone who did. So I added a link to your blog and also the photo from your header.
    What you wrote was both wise and moving. Thank you for that.

    Reply
    1. Ymani Simmons Post author

      Hi Mickie, thank you for remembering me and thank you for your beautiful tribute to Jacob. He is a treasure, and one I will hold close to my heart, always.

      Reply
  2. Jonathan Asam

    I have to show appreciation to this writer just for bailing me out of such a instance. As a result of researching throughout the internet and getting opinions which were not powerful, I figured my entire life was over. Being alive devoid of the strategies to the issues you have solved all through the short article is a crucial case, and the ones that could have badly damaged my entire career if I had not discovered your website. Your primary ability and kindness in touching all the pieces was useful. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I hadn’t come upon such a thing like this. I can at this moment relish my future. Thank you very much for the impressive and sensible guide. I will not be reluctant to suggest your blog post to anybody who will need direction on this subject.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Jonathan Asam Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *